Multi-purpose sponge brush



y 1967 M. A. NAPIER, SR, ETAL 3,317,944

MULTI'PURPOSE SPONGE BRUSH Filed Dec. 15, 1965 FIG.2

INVENTORS MAURICE A. NAPIER, SR. as Y MAURICE A. NAPIER, JR. f f

ATTORNEY FIG. 5

United States Patent 3,317,944 MULTI-PURPOSE SPONGE BRUSH Maurice A. Napier, Sr., 841 Timberline Drive, Akron,

Ohio 44313, and Maurice A. Napier, Jr., 9937 Gabriella Drive, North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Filed Dec.'15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,034 2 Claims. (Cl. -244) This invention refers, in general, to brushes. More particularly, this invention refers to the kind of brush employed as a cleansing expedient when it is not desirable to immerse the object worked upon into a liquid or cleaning solution of a chemical nature.

The manufacture of brushes has attained considerable status as an industry due, perhaps, to the many uses for brushes which are varied but unnecessary to detail here. A typical brush is composed of bristles, wire, or the like which is usually set in a backing or handle of wood, ivory, or wire.

As with other industries, the brush making industry has had its share of problems. The best source of natural bristles, for instance, is Russia and China. When these countries decided to deny import of bristles by American manufacturers, reliance had to be shifted to domestic sources. Unfortunately, the hair of the American pig was found not to be as suitable as its Russian or Chinese counterpart. Consequently, experimentation with the use of horse hair, vegetable fibers, and synthetic fibers was undertaken. Of course, all this meant additional cost since, at least in the case of synthetics, a great number of manufacturing techniques had to be designed and perfected before synthetics could be produced in the proper form for use in brush making.

Furthermore, the necessity of properly complementing the bristles to a backing or handle has been no easy task. To drill holes or slots in wood to receive the bristles or to intertwine the bristles in wire involves a complication of method and machinery. This, of course, is more cost which must ultimately be passed on to the consumer who already, in some instances, is a reluctant buyer.

There appears to be some public resistance against the use of a brush with stiff bristles, particularly when that brush is to be applied against clothing, upholstery, or other like fabrics. Damage can be and is frequently done to the fibers of the material being worked on. Furthermore, the use of a bristled brush against clothing, furniture, and the like to remove lint, hair, dandruff and similar unsightly surface blemishes is unsatisfactory, unless the brushing procedure is lengthy and intensive. Most people 'would rather do the job with a couple of swipes.

Perhaps, this is why there is now on the market a V roller-type brush having an exposed tacky surface to which the foreign materials are supposed to adhere. Obviously, a condition of saturation is soon reached making necessary the replacement of the outer tacky surface. Bristles type brushes, also, after a period of use become ineffective because of the matting of material in the bristles. Cleaning the brush is relatively difiicult since another bristled object must be run through the bristles on the brush or the brush itself must be soaked in soap sudsy water which can be and is very frequently quite damaging to the brush.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a multi-purpose brush which is manufactured with extreme simplicity from readily available materials to thereby effect a reduction in cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brush which is effective without the use of bristles.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a brush wherein the brush itself is capable of facile cleaning, without damage, by immersion in soap and water.

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FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the brush of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an individual segment of the bun portion of the brush.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, partly cut out, showing the relationship of the bale wire to the bun portion and handle of the brush.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1 where the brush, generally indicated by the numeral 10, is shown comprised of a bun portion 12 and a handle 14 suitably retained in position relative to each other by means of a bale wire 16.

The handle 14, of wood or any other suitable material, is provided with longitudinal grooves 18 and 20 along its opposed edges in order to better accommodate the wire 16.

Bun portion 12 is composed of a plurality of sponge segments, one of which is best shown in FIGURE 2. Segment 22, as shown, is elliptical in configuration with arcuate cut-outs 24, 24 spaced along its peripheral edge. The segment 22 further includes apertures 26 and 28 which are spaced from each other on transversely opposite sides of the approximate center of the segment 22. The material composition of the segment 22 is preferably a commercially available and open-celled polyester urethane although any suitable material may be employed.

In assemblying the brush 10, a plurality of the segments 22, 22 'will be brought together to form the bun 12, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 1. The bale wire 16 is formed to complement the grooves 18 and 20 on handle 16 which, in effect, assists in spacing the wire 16 so that the extending ends 16a and 16b may be passed through the apertures 26 and 28, respectively, in each of the seg ments 22, 22. The protruding portions of the wire ends 16a and 16b may be turned toward each other and secured, as by clamp 30, or other suitable means. Plates 27 and 29, at the spaced longitudinal ends of the bun 12 assist in stabilizing the assembled condition of the brush 10, with the plate 27 further serving to lock the wire 16 into firm contact with the handle 14.

When the segments 22, 22 are in the assembled condition as just described the arcuate cut-outs 24, 24 achieve a position of alignment and define a series of longitudinal grooves 32, 32, longitudinal brushing surfaces 33, 33, and and longitudinal edges 34, 34, and 36, 36. This arrange ment enables the brush 10 to retain proficiency even when it is necessary that the bun 12 be deformed to reach a difficult cleaning area, such as a corner. Additionally, the brushing surfaces 33, 33 and the edges 34, 34 and 36, 36 are extremely pliable and with only slight pressure can make a relatively massive contact with the surface being worked upon, even when the worked upon surface is uneven. Further, since there is no adhesion between the described segments 22, 22, slight separation of the segments will occur during use imparting a jaw-like action to the bun 12 assuring the removal of hard to expel substances such as dog hair on clothes and upholstered furniture.

There has been shown, then, a multi-purpose brush which is simple to manufacture from readily available materials. No stiff, semi-stiff, or soft bristles are employed. Rather, a series of grooves and edges together with a controlled separation of parts provide working action in the brush. Furthermore, the brush cannot be damaged by moisture and can itself be kept clean by simple immersion in soap and water. In fact, this facile cleaning capability of the brush 10 increases the use po- =3 tential of the brush. The brush, for instance, may be dipped into a dry cleaning chemical solution and applied to an imbedded stain or the like. Or, the brush may be sprayed with a chemical adhesive, if desired. In either case, after the particular purpose has been accomplished, the chemical solution or adhesive may be Washed out of the brush 10 through means of simple soap and water.

It will readily be apparent that the segments and, hence, the bun could be of circular configuration. The elliptical configuration, however, permits a maximum attainment of brushing surface.

While a full and complete description of the invention has been set forth, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be so limited. Accordingly, modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit hereof Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-purpose sponge brush of the character described, comprising; a handle; a bale wire disposed complemental to the longitudinal sides of said handle and secured thereto; said bale Wire having spaced longitudinally extending ends projecting forwardly of the handle; a bun composed of a plurality of separable sponge segments; each said segment having spaced arcuate cut-outs along its peripheral edge; each said segment having spaced apertures; said extending ends of said bale wire passing through said spaced apertures in each said segment aligning said arcuate cut-outs on each said segment; said alignment of said arcuate cut-outs defining spaced longitudinal grooves on said bun; and said bale wire securing said bun to said handle.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal grooves define a series of brushing edges and surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-PURPOSE SPONGE BRUSH OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING; A HANDLE; A BALE WIRE DISPOSED COMPLEMENTAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL SIDES OF SAID HANDLE AND SECURED THERETO; SAID BALE WIRE HAVING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ENDS PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF THE HANDLE; A BUN COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF SEPARABLE SPONGE SEGMENTS; EACH SAID SEGMENT HAVING SPACED ARCUATE CUT-OUTS ALONG ITS PERIPHERAL EDGE; EACH SAID SEGMENT HAVING SPACED APERTURES; SAID EXTENDING ENDS OF SAID BALE WIRE PASSING THROUGH SAID SPACED APERTURES IN EACH SAID SEGMENT ALIGNING SAID ARCUATE CUT-OUTS ON EACH SAID SEGMENT; SAID ALIGNMENT OF SAID ARCUATE CUT-OUTS DEFINING SPACED LONGITUDINAL GROOVES ON SAID BUN; AND SAID BALE WIRE SECURING SAID BUN TO SAID HANDLE. 